Valve mechanism.



No. 717,559. PATENTED JAN. 6, 190a.

' a. B. EDWARDS & B. H. ALLEN.

' VALVE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 6, 1901. N0 MODEL. 7 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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No. 717,559. PATENTEI) JAN. a, 1903. 0. B. EDWARDS & R H. ALLEN.

VALVE MECHANISM,

J APPLIOATION FILED DEG. 6,,1901. 7

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No. 717,559. PATENTED JAN. 6, 1903. 0'. B. EDWARDS & R. H. ALLEN.

- VALVE MECHANISM.

APPLIUA'IIOR FILED DEC. 6, 1901.

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No. 717,559. PATEKT D JAN; 6, 1903! 0. EDWARDS & R. H. ALLEN.

VALVE MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC; 6, 1901.

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v$10,717,559. PATENTED JAN. 6, 1903. G. B. EDWARDS & B H. ALLEN.

VALVE MECHANISM.

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n annals mas :0 mm lumo m No. 717.559. IfATENTED JAN. 6, 190a.

EDWARDS & R. H. ALLEN. VALVE MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC 6, 1901.

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UNITED STA ES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES BLEDXVARDS, OF EAST BRAINTREE, AND REDFIELD H. ALLEN, OF QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO FORE RIVER SHIP 8r ENGINE COMPANY, OF QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

VALVE MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0, 717,559, dated January 6, 1903.

' Application filed December 6,1901. Serial No. 84,906- (No model.) 7

To otZZ when 2 it may concern.-

Be it known that W6,CHARLESB. EDWARDS, residing at East Braintree, and REDFIELD H. ALLEN, residing at Quincy, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, citizens of the United States, have invented new and useful Improvements in Valve Mechanism, of which the'following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple, compact, and durable steam-distribution valve. Said valve is particularly adapted for use in a single direct-acting steampuinp.

The object of the invention, again, is to pro- 1 5 duce a valve which shall cause the steam-piston to have a continuous motion without any dead-center, whether the piston is moving at a slower quick speed and under a light or heavy pressureof steam. V

2c The invention consists in a valve-chest provided with two main inlet-ports and a main exhaust-port, two auxiliary outlet-ports, and an auxiliary exhaust port, said auxiliary ports entering said valve chest from a common auxiliary passage, in combination with a main valve controlling said main ports and also provided with a port to connect said exhaust-ports and an auxiliary piston-valve located within'said valve-chest, operating said 0 main valve and acting as a switch to alternately control the auxiliary exhaust from opposite ends of said auxiliary passage.

The invention again consists in an auxiliary piston-valve located in a valve-chest and 3 5 provided with a head at each end thereof, said heads each provided with a recess opening therein from one end of said piston-valve, each of said heads provided with an annular steam-passage extending around the periph- 0 ery thereof and connected by a passage with said recess.

The invention further consists in the combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and particularly 5 pointed out in the claims thereof.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of an engine constructed in accordance with our invention and adapted to be connected to a steam-pump, not shown in the drawings, Fig. 2 is a sectional ele- 5o vation taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1 looking toward the left in said figure. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken through'the center of the valve-chest upon the lin'e3 3 3 of Fig. 2 looking toward the right in said figure and showing the main valve and the auxiliary piston-valve at the extreme right in said figure. Fig. 4 isa view similar to Fig. 3, showing the main valve in the same position as in saidfigure and the auxiliary piston-valve moved toward the left a distance. sufficient to engage said main valve. Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 4, showing the auxiliary piston and the main-valve still farther to the left. Fig. 6 is a seotion siinilar to Fig. 5, showing the auxiliary piston and main valve in their extremeleft-hand positions. Fig. 6 is a detail longitudinal section taken on line 6* 6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a detail front elevation of the valve-chest. Fig. 8 is a transverse section taken on line '8 8 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section taken on line 9 9 9 of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is an underneath plan of the valve-chest. Fig. 11 is a detail front elevation of the steam-cylinder. Fig. 12. is a transverse section taken on line 12 12 12 of Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a side elevation, enlarged, of the auxiliary piston-valve. Fig. 141' is'an and elevation of the same. Fig. 15 is an end elevation of the main valve looking-in the same direction as in'Fig. 2. Fig. 16 is alongitudinal section of the main valve, takenon the line 16 16, Fig. l5,'looking toward the left in said figure. Fig. 17 is an underneath plan view of the main valve.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 20 is the main steam-cylinder, fast to and supported upon rods 21. The piston 22 is fast to a pistonrod 23, said piston-rod having fastened thereto a crosshead. 24, said cross-head 24; having a boss 25 thereon arranged to slide upon one of the rods 21. Said cross-head is connected by a link 26 to a lever 27, pivoted at 28 to the 5 steam-cylinder 20. A sliding block 29 is pivotally connected to a stud 30, fast to the short arm of the lever 27. Said sliding block 29 engages and slides upon a rod 31, having two stop -collars 32 and 33 adj ustably fastened thereto by screw-threaded engagement. The rod 31 is pivotally connected at 34 to the lower end of a lever 35, pivoted at 19 to an arm 37 upon the head 38 of the valve-chest 39. The upper end of the lever 35 engagesa block 36, fast to the valve-stem 40. The valve-stem 40 slides in the stuffing-boxes 4142 in the heads 38 and 43, respectively, of the valve-chest 39. The valve-chest 39 is secured by bolts 44 to the steam-cylinder 20 and has a cylindrical bore extending from one end to the other thereof and constituting a valve-seat.

A cylindrical auxiliary piston-valve 45,fast to the valve-stem 40, fits looselyin the cylindrical bore of said valve-chest. Said auxiliary piston-valve consists of two cylindrical heads 46 and 47, joined together by a cylindrical sleeve 48. Each of the heads 46 and 47 has a recess 49 therein, preferably cylindrical, opening from the end thereof for the purpose of lightening said piston-valve and also to make room for the head at each end of the valve when the auxiliary piston is at the end of its stroke. Each of said heads 46 47 has an annular steam passage or port 50 extending around the outside thereof and connected by passages 51 with said cylindrical recesses.

It will be seen that the auxiliary pistonvalve 45 thus divides the interior of the steam valve-chest 39 into three portionsone central steam-chamber 52 between said heads 46 47 and chambers 53 and 54 at each end of said valve-chest. Between the two heads of the auxiliary piston-valve 45 is a main valve 55, having a semicircular face 56, which is formed to fit the interior of the cylindrical bore of the valve-chest 39. Said main valve partially encircles the sleeve 48 of the piston-valve 45 and is provided with a slot 57, extending lengthwise thereof at one side of said valve and engaging the end of a guidescrew 58, which projects inwardly into the said valve-chest and is screw-threaded from the front thereof. (See Fig. 2.)

The main valve 55 has a main port 59 therein which operates to control the main exhaustport 60 and the main inlet-ports 61 and 62, formed in the valve-ehest39. The main exhaust-port 60 passes downwardly from the valve chest 39 and connects with the exhaust-port 63 of the steam-cylinder 20, passing out of said steam-cylinder at the outlet 64. The main inletports 61 and 62 pass downwardly from the valve-chest 39 and connect with the main steam-ports 65 and 66, respectively, in the steam cylinder 20. Steam is admitted to the valve-chest 39 in the central chamber 52 at the inlet-opening 67 in the steam-cylinder 20, thence passing through the steam-passage 68, through the port 69, and through the valve-chest inlet-port 70. The steam passes from the central chamber 52 through the balance-ports 71 and 72, respectively, at each end of the auxiliary piston-valve 45 into the end chambers 53 and 54, and thus said auxiliary piston is balanced, except under the conditions hereinafter set forth. I

In the valve-chest 39 is also provided an auxiliary exhaust-port 73 and two auxiliary outlet-ports 74 and 75, said ports entering said valve-chest from a common passage 76. In the main valve 55 is provided an auxiliary valve-port 77, leading out of the main valveport 59 and connecting the main exhaust-port and auxiliary exhaust-port when the main valve is in the position shown in Fig. 5. In Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 the auxiliary outlet and exhaust ports, together with the steam-passage 76, are shown in dotted lines for the purpose of illustrating their relative location (in the manner of a diagram) to the auxiliary piston and main valves.

The operation of our improved valve mechanism is as follows: Assuming the various parts to be in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the piston making its downward stroke and having half completed said stroke, the auxiliary piston-valve being at the extreme right of its movement, as shown in Fig. 3, and the main valve also being at the extreme right, the steam is admitted to the valve-chest as hereinbefore set forth. The auxiliary piston is balanced, as live steam is in the central chamber 52 and in the end chambers 53 and 54. The steam therefore passes from the central chamber 52 through the main inlet-port 62 and through the steamport 66 to the upperend of the steam-cylinder 20, forcing the piston 22 downwardly, and ex hausting through the steam-port 65, main inlet-port 61, main valveport 59, and main exhaust-port 60 through the exhaust-port 63 and outlet 64. As the piston descends and when it arrives at about one-half stroke, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the sliding block 29 engages the collar 32 and through the rod 31 rocks the lever 35 upon its pivot 19, drawing the valve-stem 40 toward the left, Fig. 3, and moving the pistonvalve from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 4, where the piston-valve is just engaging the righthand end of the main valve 55. Upon the continued downward stroke of the piston the main valve and piston-valve move from the position shown in Fig; 4 to that shown in Fig. 5, closing the main inletports 61 and 62 and bringing the auxiliary valve-port 77 in line with the main exhaust port 60, and thus connecting said main exhaust-port with the auxiliary exhaust-port 73 and through the auxiliary steam-passage 76, port 75, port 50, and passage 51 connecting the chamber 54 with the main exhaustport 60. As soon as the piston arrives at the position shown in Fig. 5, therefore, the exhaust-port being connected with the chamber 54, the steam in said chamber will exhaust through the passage 51, port 50, auxiliary steam-passage 76, auxiliary exhaustport 73, auxiliary valve-port 7 7, main valveport 59, and main exhaust-port 60. The auxthe steam-port 65 in the cylinder 20.

iliary piston will thus be unbalanced, ex hausting, as described, from the chamber 54, and having the full pressure of steam in the chamber 53 at the other end of said auxiliary piston, and hence said pressure of the steam will drive the auxiliary piston together with the main valve from the position shown in Fig. 5 to its extreme position at the left, as shown in Fig. 6. This last movement of the auxiliary piston and main valves takes place when the piston is at the end of its stroke and carries the valve-stem 40 to its extreme position toward the left and through the block 36 rocks the lever 35 upon its pivot 19, carrying the rod 31 and collars 32 and 33 toward the right, Fig. 1, to the position shown in dotted lines in said figure.

It will be seen by reference to Fig. 6 that the steam is now admitted through theinletport 61 to the under side of the piston through The piston ascends until the sliding block 29 engages the collar 33, and through connections hereinbefore referred to the valve-stem 40,

together with the auxiliary piston-valve a5,

is carried to the right from the position shown in Fig. 6 until the same operation is repeated as hereinbefore describedin moving the main valve and piston-valve to the left, reversing the inlet and exhaust ports.

It will be seen that by our improved valve mechanism it is impossible to find any point during the movement of the piston up or a working machine to be entirely practical and satisfactory.

The auxiliary outlet-ports 74 and '75 and auxiliary exhaust-port 73 enter the same auxiliary exhaust-passage 76 from the valvechest, thus ren dering the construction simple, cheap, and easily manufactured.

It will be seen by the construction of the auxiliary piston-valve hereinbefore set forth that said piston-valve may be rotated in the valve-chest without interfering with the operation of the mechanism hereinbefore described, for as a steam passage or port 50 extends entirely around the periphery of the heads 46 and 47 at each end of said auxiliary piston-valve, each of said annular passages being connected by passages 51 with the recess 49, opening from each end of the pistonvalve, it is evident that the end chambers 53 and 54 will be connected with the auxiliary outlet-ports 74 and 75, respectively, through said passages 51 and annular passage or port 50 when said annular passage in said auxiliary piston-valve is brought in line with one of said outlet-ports, as hereinbefore described. The angular position of said passages 51 is immaterial to the passage of the steam from said end chambers to said auxiliary outletports. This construction adds to the sim- The valve can be run very slowly or The mechanism is simple, durable, and compact and has been demonstrated in plicity and facility of construction and manufacture and assembling of the mechanism, as well as to the accurate operation of the same. Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire by Letters Patent to secure, is

L In an engine, a valve-chest provided with two main inlet-ports and a main exhaust-port, two auxiliary outlet-ports and an auxiliary exhaust-port, said auxiliary outlet-ports and auxiliary exhaust-port entering said valvechest from a common auxiliary passage, a main valve controlling said main ports and provided with a single auxiliary port to connect said exhaust-ports, and an auxiliary piston-valve located within said valve-chest, operating said main valve and acting as a switch to alternately control the auxiliary exhaust from opposite ends of said auxiliary passage. 2. In an engine, a valve-chest provided with two main inlet-ports and a main exhaust-port, two auxiliary outlet-ports and an auxiliary exhaust-port, said auxiliary outlet-ports and auxiliary exhaust-port entering said valvechest from a common auxiliary passage, a main valve controlling said main ports and provided with a single auxiliary port to connect said exhaust-ports, and an auxiliary piston-valve located within said valve-chest and. operating said main valve, said auxiliary piston-valve being provided with a central steamchamber, a steam-passage'at each end thereof connecting said central steam-chamber with the ends of said valvechest and acting as a switch to alternately control the auxiliary exhaustfrom opposite ends of said auxiliary passage.

3. In an engine, a valve-chest provided with two main inlet-ports and a main exhaust-port, two auxiliary outlet-ports and an auxiliary exhaust-port, said auxiliary outlet-ports and auxiliary exhaust-port entering said valvechest from a common auxiliary passage, a main valve controlling said main ports and provided with a single auxiliary port to con-' nect said exhaust-ports, and an auxiliary piston-valve located within said valve-chest and operating said main valve, said auxiliary piston-valve beingprovided with a central steamchamber, a steam-passage at each end thereof connecting said central steam-chamber with the'ends of said valve-chest and acting as a switch to alternately control the auxiliary exhaust from opposite ends of said auxiliary passage, and a port at each end of said auxiliary piston-valve connecting said auxiliary outlet-ports with said valve-chest.

at. In an engine, a valve-chest provided with two main inlet-ports and a main exhaust-port, an auxiliary exhaust passage extending lengthwise of said valve-chest, an auxiliary outlet-port entering said valvechest from each end of said auxiliary exhaust-passage, and an auxiliary exhaust-port entering said valve-chest from said auxiliary exhaust-passage between said outlet-ports.

5. In an engine, a valve-chest provided with ICC IIO

two main inlet-ports and a main exhaust-port, an auxiliary exhaust passage extending lengthwise of said valve-chest, an auxiliary outlet-port entering said valve-chest from each end of said auxiliary exhaust-passage, an auxiliary exhaust-port entering said valvechest from said auxiliary exhaust-passage between said outlet-ports, a main valve controlling said main ports and provided with a single auxiliary port to connect said exhaustports, an auxiliary piston-valve located within said valve-chest and operating said main valve, said auxiliary piston-valve being provided with a central steam-chamber and a steam-passage at each end thereof connecting said central steam-chamber with the ends of said valve-chest.

6. In an engine, a valve-chest provided with two main inlet-ports and a main exhaust-port, an auxiliary exhaust passage extending lengthwise of said valve-chest, an auxiliary outlet-port connecting said valve-chest with each end of said auxiliary exhaust-passage, an auxiliary exhaust-port entering said valvechest from said auxiliary exhaust passage between said auxiliary outlet-ports, a main valve controlling said main ports, an auxiliary piston-valve located Within said valvechest and operating said main valve, said auxiliary piston-valve being provided with a central steam-chamber, a steam-passage at each end thereof connecting said central steam-chamber with the ends of said valvechest, and a port at each end of said auxiliary piston-valve connecting said auxiliary outlet-ports with the ends of said valve-chest.

7. In an engine, a main-cylinder, a piston therein, avalve-chest provided with two main inlet-ports and a main exhaust-port,said ports communicating with said cylinder, two auxiliary outlet-ports and an auxiliary exhaustport, said auxiliary outlet-ports and said auxiliary exhaust-port entering said valve-chest from a common passage; a main valve controlling said main ports and provided with a single auxiliary portto connect said exhaustports,an auxiliary piston-valvelocated within said valve-chest and operating said main valve, and mechanism operatively connecting said piston and auxiliary piston valve to move said main valve and auxiliary pistonvalve through a portion of their travel and open connection from one end of said valveohest through one of said auxiliary outlet ports and through said auxiliary exhaustports to said main exhaust-port, while closing the other of said auxiliary outlet-ports.

S. In an engine, a main cylinder, a piston therein, a valve-chest provided with two main inlet-ports and a main exhaust-port,said ports communicating with said cylinder, an auxiliary exhaust-passage extending lengthwise of said valve-chest, an auxiliary outlet-port entering said valve-chest from each end of said auxiliary exhaust-passage, an auxiliary exhaust-port entering said valve-chest from said auxiliary exhaust-passage between said auxiliary outlet-ports, a main valve controlling said main ports and provided with a single auxiliary port to connect said exhaustports,an auxiliary piston-valve located within said valve-chest and operating said main valve, and mechanism operatively connecting said piston and auxiliary piston-valve to move said main valve and auxiliary pistonvalve through a portion of their travel and open connection from one end of said valvechest through one of said auxiliary outletports and through said auxiliary exhaustports to said main exhaust-port, while closing the other of said auxiliary outlet-ports.

9. In an engine, a valve-chest, an auxiliary piston-valve located therein and provided with a head at each end thereof, said heads each provided with a recess opening therein from one end and with an annular steam-passage extending around the periphery thereof -and connected by a passage with said recess.

10. In an engine, a valve-chest provided with two maininlet-ports and a main exhaustport, two auxiliary outlet-ports and an auxiliary exhaust-port,said auxiliary outlet-ports and auxiliary exhaust-port entering said valve-chest from a common passage, a main valve controlling said main ports and provided with asingle auxiliary port to connect said exhaust-ports, and an auxiliary piston-valve located within said valve-chest and provided with a head at each end thereof, said heads each provided with a recess opening therein from one end and with an annular steampassage extending around the periphery thereof and connected by a passage with said recess, said auxiliary piston-valve operating said main valve and acting as a switch to alternately control the auxiliary exhaust from opposite ends of said auxiliary passage.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES B. EDWARDS. REDFIELD II. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

CHARLES S. Goonnvc, H. P. J ONES. 

